he spent many years homeless and nearly four decades as a migrant worker in the napa valley vineyard. >> sometimes sleeping in the car. >> reporter: or in the fields. >> it's very have hard. >> reporter: but at the river ranch farm worker housing center in st. helena he and 60 other laborers get bedrooms, three meals a day and hot showers. >> he rest much better. he doesn't really worry about his safety. >> reporter: the workers give thanks for father john brenkle a champion of farm worker housing for nearly 30 years. >> this valley is so darn prosperous. it was a scandal having them sleeping in cars. >> reporter: when he first came to saint helena catholic church in 1983 he immediately noticed the plight of the farm worker. at night he would see up to 40 of them crowded onto the church porch to sleep. >> when i went to bed in my warm bed, i felt very uncomfortable. >> reporter: at first, father brenkle offered showers and meals at his church and set up a tent city in yountville. and he organized groups to create long-term housing. in 2002 they passed measure l allowing landowners to